PDP Zoning Formula Unveiled As NEC Receives Committee Report Today

August 25, 2025

The zoning formula of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken shape ahead of today’s 102nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja, where members will receive the official report of the party’s zoning committee.

The tenure of the current National Working Committee (NWC), led by Acting National Chairman Ambassador Umar Damagum, ends in December. To ensure a smooth transition, the 101st NEC had earlier fixed November 15–16 for the national elective convention in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The zoning committee, set up in July and chaired by Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, with Zamfara Governor Dauda Lawal as vice chairman and Plateau Governor Caleb Mutfwang as secretary was mandated to distribute the 19 NWC positions between the North and South.

Multiple party sources disclosed that the committee recommended maintaining the existing zoning arrangement, meaning both regions will retain their current offices. 

The South has already micro-zoned its slots to its three geopolitical zones, while the North will conclude its own sharing formula after today’s NEC session scheduled for 2 p.m.

A senior NWC official confirmed the development, saying: “From the report we have seen, the zoning committee upheld the current formula. The South has already micro-zoned its offices, while the North will finalise its arrangements after NEC.”

At a stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos last Thursday, southern leaders distributed their positions as follows: South-South secured the Deputy National Chairman and National Publicity Secretary; South-West got the National Secretary and National Auditor; while the South-East received the Deputy National Secretary and Financial Secretary.

It was further gathered that, under the influence of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, the National Secretary was micro-zoned to Oyo, while Akwa Ibom was allocated the Publicity Secretary slot.

However, the process has not been free of controversy. Supporters of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike, warned that ignoring resolutions of the South-South Congress in Calabar could spark fresh crises.

“Before you talk about the convention, resolve the matter. If the matter is not resolved, there will be a crisis,” Wike cautioned.

Similarly, some southern leaders loyal to Wike rejected the Lagos micro-zoning outcome, further deepening tensions within the party ahead of the convention.

The Beacon NG Newspaper
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